1. In psychoanalysis, the investment of emotional energy or desire in a person, object, or idea.
Usage: psychology, psychoanalysis; formal; plural: cathexes

Examples

• The therapist explored the patient's cathexis toward his childhood home.
• In Freudian theory, cathexis describes how psychological energy becomes attached to mental representations.
• Her strong cathexis with the project made her reluctant to abandon it despite setbacks.
• The analyst examined the client's cathexis of authority figures.
• Cathexis can shift over time as people develop new relationships and interests.